Today, as you read this piece, many things would have taken place all over the world, in your country, and in your life. On the global stage, there are the economic, social and political issues of the day; there are the wars in various locations all around the world, many of which there is no end in sight, and the threat of nuclear war from perceived—rightly or wrongly—"rogue" nations; there are the destabilization of weaker nations by stronger nations, and political brinkmanship; there is hunger and starvation in many nations around the world, and diseases and people living as refugees—some, in their own countries; and so on. On the national scene, depending on the nation, there are missing children, rapes, indiscriminate killings, drug issues, same-sex marriage issues, political brigandage, homeless people roaming about, and so on. And, at a very personal level, there is possibly the concern with your job, your health, your personal well-being, personal debt issues, bills payments, and other very pressing personal issues that you just wouldn't want to discuss with anyone. And the list just keeps growing.

In Jesus' day, about 30 A.D., there were many pressing issues that were very important to the people. Some of these issues included the Roman occupation of Palestine, especially of the nation of Israel; the oppression of the common people by the Roman conquerors; poverty and deprivation among the people; and even the imprisonment of the fiery prophet, John the Baptist, by King Herod. There were indeed issues to be dealt with in Israel, but the bible says that Jesus left Judea, the center of politics and spiritual issues in Palestine, and went on to an outskirt area in the outlying region of Galilee—Capernaum. He went to Capernaum and began to preach His one message: "Turn from your sins and turn to God, because the kingdom of Heaven is near." (Matthew 4:17). The question here is, "What is so significant or important about the kingdom of heaven or the kingdom of God, as to make all other issues take a back seat (including the imprisonment of John, the Baptist)?"

The kingdom of God is the place where all men should aspire for, because it is the only kingdom that will remain standing after all other kingdoms have been destroyed. In the book of Daniel, in the bible, we are told of king Nebuchadnezzar's dream, and Daniel's interpretation of that dream (Daniel 2). Of significance is the portion of Daniel's interpretation in verse 44 of The Living Bible (LB): "During the reigns of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed; no one will ever conquer it. It will shatter all these kingdoms into nothingness, but it will stand forever."

Furthermore, while giving illustrations of the kingdom of God, he used two significant parables that show the absolute priority of the kingdom of God, He said, "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field—and to get the treasure, too! Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a pearl merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!" (Matthew 13:44-46). From this scripture, it is obvious that the kingdom of God is so significant that we need to give up everything that we are holding onto now, so that we can be a part of it. Also, the kingdom of God is the ultimate in life, and indeed, it is what we have been looking for. If you have been searching for that one thing that would give you satisfaction and contentment in life, it is the kingdom of God! Many have sought for justice, peace and joy in so many areas—including, money, work, career, religion, politics, power, etc.—but they all ended up frustrated, because these things have never been the answer to life's questions and, indeed, our desires.

In Romans 14:17 the bible says, "For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." The Message translation of the bible makes this scripture easier to understand: "God's kingdom isn't a matter of what you put in your stomach, for goodness' sake. It's what God does with your life as he sets it right, puts it together, and completes it with joy." One thing that is clear about the kingdom of God is that it is God?s kingdom, and so it is all about what God does in the life of all those who would come to Him in trust and in surrender of their lives to Him?those who would submit to the reign and rule of God over their lives, including their desires, destinies, and disappointment!

Jesus stated the things that we must do for the sake of this all-important kingdom—"Turn from your sins; and turn to God, ...". To appreciate what is meant by "turn from your sins" you must understand that every human being is born into sin and cannot but commit sin, because he is in captivity to sin. For instance, you don't go to any school to learn how to tell lies, or cheat, or get involved in certain sinful conduct—it comes naturally because we are sinners; that is, we cannot but sin! However, when an individual decides he or she wants to quit living in sin and calls on God, he or she will be helped by God to make the right decision. In making the right decision, the individual will, through that right decision, be admitted into and will become a part of the kingdom of God. Getting into the kingdom of God is as easy as A-B-C:

A. Accept that, going by the way you have been living, you are a sinner who needs a Saviour so that you can be made free from the captivity to sin, as well as not be condemned and face the judgment of God at the end of your life, and indeed, the world, which will lead to torment in hell-fire for all eternity—this is not scare tactics, but the reality of our human existence.

B. Believe, with conviction in your heart, that Jesus Christ, who is the Son of the living God, has indeed paid the price for the penalty for sin (which is the sentence of eternity in hell-fire) through His death on the cross at Calvary; therefore, your faith in Him is all you need to be saved from captivity to sin, escaping the judgment of hell-fire. Jesus Christ is, therefore, the Saviour that you need.

C. Confess your sins, which is the act of making a declaration with your mouth, stating what you have believed with conviction in your heart, that you are a sinner, and thus, receive the forgiveness of God. Confession can sometimes be done in private, hence, the next phase:

D. Declare publicly your faith in God through Jesus Christ by telling your family, friends, and colleagues about what God has done in saving your soul from the judgment to come. The essence of this is to help you stay true to your confession and possibly get them (those observing you) to seek the same things you now have. It is unlikely that they will respond positively, though, and this further tests your resolve to stick with God through thick and thin.

E. Enter into regular fellowship with God through bible reading and prayer daily. The Bible is God's letter to you, and in it is contained everything you need to know about yourself and how you can begin to live the new life of a sin-free man, also known as the life of a righteous man.

F. Fellowship with other believers through the agency of a local church or even an office fellowship meeting. The importance of this kind of fellowship is clearly stated in the bible—Hebrews 10:25 (Good News Translation) states, "Let us not give up the habit of meeting together, as some are doing. Instead, let us encourage one another all the more, since you see that the Day of the Lord is coming nearer." It is at such meetings that we can discuss challenges that we are facing as a result of the new life; and where it is in a church setting, let it be a bible-believing and bible-teaching assembly, where the word of God is taught, not just preached. The difference between preaching and teaching is that whilst the former has to do with exhortation, the latter has to do with repetitive instruction on how to live the new life, how to relate with God, the benefits of reading your bible, the meaning and interpretation of the parables of Jesus, for instance, and how it affects you, and many much more.

G. Get involved in a local church, where you will be known?recognized as one of them, and not just a number; where you will be diligently taught the word of God; where you will be accountable to the leadership; and, where you will be involved in the growth of other new believers as you grow into maturity, as well as in the maintenance and upkeep of the local church and minister.

One final point as we end this piece: Only those who are sick and want to get well will go to a doctor. Also, a doctor is only useful when there are sick people. So, we find that organizations like "Doctors without Borders" go to areas where they are most needed. This, therefore, explains why Jesus set up his ministry in Capernaum—"In the land of Zebulun and of Naphtali, beside the sea, beyond the Jordan River—in Galilee where so many Gentiles live—the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light. And for those who lived in the land where death casts its shadow, a light has shined." (Matthew 4:15-16). The Lord Jesus set up shop in Galilee of the Gentiles and also went into many territories of other Gentile nations in the hope that they would see their need for Him and respond appropriately. In like manner, this message is for any individual who has been sitting or living in the darkness of sin and ignorance; it is for any individual who has reached the point of no return and is about to give up; it is being transmitted so that anyone who wants the goodness, peace and joy of God in his or her life can find the light that enlightens and begin to live as he or she should—free from the stranglehold of sin.

Sadly, for the nations where the Lord Jesus visited for ministry, they did not respond appropriately—they did seek Him for their salvation; they did not become His disciples—they did not follow Him and His teachings; so, Jesus "began to pour out his denunciations against the cities where he had done most of his miracles, because they hadn't turned to God. "Woe to you, Chorazin, and woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles I did in your streets had been done in wicked Tyre and Sidon, their people would have repented long ago in shame and humility. Truly, Tyre and Sidon will be better off on the Judgment Day than you! And Capernaum, though highly honored, shall go down to hell! For if the marvelous miracles I did in you had been done in Sodom, it would still be here today. Truly, Sodom will be better off at the Judgment Day than you." (Matthew 11:20-24 The Living Bible). The question to you now is, "Will you respond appropriately to the Lord's message of salvation, or will you follow in the unprofitable ways of those Gentile nations that rebuffed the Lord Jesus Christ, and drew His indignation?" It is our prayer that the light of God will shine on you and enlighten your situation so that you will respond to God's call and offer of eternal salvation to you.

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